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If you’re staying in Falmouth and are looking for day trip ideas, then taking the ferry from Falmouth to St Mawes should be at the top of your list. The ferry journey itself is a treat, before you even get to the picture-perfect, fishing village and sailing haven of St Mawes. Although small, St Mawes is a prime Cornish holiday destination. If you plan your day well if can include a Tudor castle, sub-tropical gardens, leisurely lunch with a view, and even a quick swim or kayak. Here’s how to make it happen.
The village of St Mawes sits towards the southern end of the Roseland Peninsula, an area of outstanding, unspoilt natural beauty. St Mawes is the largest settlement on the peninsula, being named after St Maudez, a Celtic missionary who travelled from Brittany in 550 AD seeking solitude as a hermit in this relatively remote place.
From the harbour front of St Mawes, you look directly over to Place (pronounced Plass) and the striking white St Anthony’s Head Lighthouse which was featured in the UK version of the kids TV show Fraggle Rock.
Falmouth sits across the ‘Carrick Roads’ (estuary of the River Fal), although St Mawes is hidden around the corner, but comes into view after passing St Mawes Castle.
Passenger ferries run from the centre of Falmouth to St Mawes on a regular basis throughout the year, with up to 3 crossings an hour in the summer months. Dogs are welcome on board.
Two piers – the ferries leave from two piers at either end of Falmouth High Street: the Prince of Wales Pier (PWP) at one end, and the Custom House Quay at the other (closest to the National Maritime Museum).
Both piers have huts from which you can buy tickets on the day. At the time of our trip, it cost £16.50 for an Adult Return. The ticket attendant at Custom House Quay was super helpful and told us about ways to save on ticket costs (see below) and gave us some insider knowledge about a rare WWII amphibious flying boat (Grumman HU-16 Albatross) which was due to land in the harbour the next day.
If you are going to be using the ferries a lot (and other public transport) during your stay in the Falmouth area, then consider investing in a Fal Mussel Card for Visitors (as opposed to the version for Locals). The cards offer unlimited hop-on hop-off travel on most ferries, buses and trains for a fixed period, so you can make good savings here on transport during your trip.
Check out www.falriver.co.uk for details about all the transport links in the Fal River area.
Once aboard the ferry from Falmouth to St Mawes, after a short safety briefing, you can enjoy some commentary about the boats in the Falmouth Harbour, the third deepest natural harbour in the world.
We like departing from Custom House Quay as you can see which ships and boats are moored up in Falmouth harbour– from cruise ships to navy vessels and even cable laying ships. On our visit, a large Viking cruise ship was docked next to the Maritime Museum, with a second cruise ship anchored outside the harbour and using small orange launch boats to shuttle passengers into the town.
Once out of the harbour from Falmouth to St Mawes, you can watch sailing boats as they glide by and soak up the estuary views. To your right, you will see Pendennis Castle on the headland, a large Tudor circular fortification, built by King Henry VIII to protect the harbour from Spanish and French invaders. Below it, at water level are some large dry docks.
To your left, you will see St Mawes Castle, a smaller sister-castle to Pendennis Castle, also built by the Tudor King. The village of St Mawes is initially hidden from view but slowly reveals itself as you pass the St Mawes Castle on your left, with the St Anthony Head lighthouse to your right.
As you disembark at St Mawes harbour, double-check the boards for ferry return times so you know what to aim for. Also, make sure you choose a ferry which returns to your pier of choice in Falmouth town.
If you need to take the car from Falmouth to St Mawes for whatever reason, then it involves a longer journey. You need to drive out of Falmouth for around 25 minutes to Feock, just past Trelissick Gardens, to catch the car ferry, King Harry Ferry, over to the Roseland Peninsula, before driving south to St Mawes.
The King Harry Ferry has operated since 1888 and today is one of only 7 floating bridges in England. It operates via chains to move across the 300-meter stretch of the River Fal.
No bookings are required for the car ferry – simply join the queue on arrival and wait for the next ferry. The King Harry Ferry makes about 80 crossings each day and so you won’t have to wait very long. The journey itself only takes 5-10 minutes, just long enough to jump out of your car and take a couple of photos from the small viewing platform on-board. The ferry was £8.00 per car when we used it, but discounts are available with the Fal Mussel Card Visitor.
Note on cars in St Mawes – to be honest, I wouldn’t take a car to St Mawes, unless it were absolutely necessary. There is only one circular road around the village, which is narrow and quickly gets congested. That said, there is a public car park at the top of the hill from which you can walk down into St Mawes if needed.
Try not to be tempted by any of the inviting cafes or eateries around St Mawes harbour (unless of course you have come before breakfast) when you arrive – you can come back to these later.
Walk left from the harbour along Lower Castle Road, a single lane road. Unfortunately, there is no footpath, so you need to walk on the road and occasionally stand aside to let traffic pass. However, as the roads are so narrow, vehicles can’t move very quickly – just make sure dogs (or children) are tucked well into the side away from the wheels of any passing cars.
Take advantage of this slow stroll to admire the pastel coloured houses along the way, tightly packed together along the bottom of the hill, with narrow passageways in-between them leading up the hillside. There are a couple of small boutique shops on this stretch, including: Birdie and Bert for beach cover ups and swimwear, the Waterside Gallery for paintings and artwork, and Grace and Favour for clothes and accessories.
Then then shops exchange places with homes, second homes, holiday lets and the Hotel Tresanton.
The famous Hotel Tresanton, owned by Olga Polizzi, sits on the right-hand side, halfway between the harbour and the castle. Its restaurant terraces look inviting for refreshments, as does its Beach club terrace closer to the water on the left. As a non-resident, you can eat at the hotel, but you should book in advance as it is popular. Note that dogs are not allowed at the terrace restaurant, only in Doug’s Bar which might not hit the spot once you’ve seen the views that you’ll be missing!
Opposite Hotel Tresanton is a small slipway on the left leading down to Tavern Beach. Its turquoise waters will no doubt look inviting, so take a couple of minutes to sit on one of the benches on the slipway and take in the views. Watch the array of boats coming and going on the water – sailing boats, ferries, kayaks – and swimmers, kayakers or paddleboarders on the water. It’s a small, pebble beach which is good for rock pooling.
Note – Tavern Beach has a seasonal dog ban in summer (1 July to 31 August) and so check the notices before heading down with your furry friend.
Continue your walk for another 5 minutes to reach St Mawes Castle, which today is looked after by English Heritage. As the castle has never been refurbished, it is a well-preserved Tudor artillery fortress. Inside, you can see where traitors and prisoners were kept. There are gun platforms on top and cannons on the ground to the right of the castle. In addition, the castle sits in a stunning position overlooking the Estuary.
As the crow flies, it’s one mile from St Mawes Castle to Pendennis Castle straight across the Estuary. When we visited, the annual ‘Castle to Castle’ open-water swimming race was taking place to raise funds for the RNLI. There were 450 participants in the water and hundreds of locals on the shoreline supporting the swimmers. The winner completed the race in less than 18 minutes.
From St Mawes Castle, you can walk up the hill on the road for a further 5 minutes, to the beautiful Lamorran House Gardens. The gardens are privately owned and only open on a couple of days a week between April and September. Check opening days and times before you make the journey from Falmouth to St Mawes.
The gardens are full of subtropical plants (lots of palms and ferns) on the slopes of the hill down towards the village. It’s a great place to wander on a hot day, as you are surrounded by rich green foliage providing shade. Whilst the foliage is dense, there are a couple of places with cracking views over the water towards St Anthony’s Head.
Hidden around the lush gardens on small winding paths are a: Rose Garden, Summer House, Walled Garden, Japanese style garden with koi carp pool, cupola, small bridge, arch, temple and figurines. Overall, giving an Italian feel to the garden design. Once you’ve finished exploring, you can grab refreshments at the cafe with outdoor seating.
Note – the Lamorran House Gardens are not accessible for motorised scooters or wheelchairs as the paths are narrow and steep, being built into the hillside.
If you are visiting on a day when the Lamorran House Gardens are not open, or if you would prefer to do so, then you can continue your walk from St Mawes Castle along the lower road passed the bottom car park. Keep the water to your left and continue until you reach the charming St Just in Roseland Church by the water’s edge – this might take up to an hour.
The church itself dates to 1261, although there is thought to have been a chapel of some sort on the site since the 5th century. Inside the church are some striking turquoise painted organ pipes and cute kneeling cushions with sea-side tapestry signs such as boats and seagulls.
However, it’s the setting of the church which makes it extra special, surrounded by sub-tropical gardens. Many of the palm trees and shrubs were brought here by a vicar in the 19th century and planted around the church.
It’s so pretty that poet Sir John Betjeman described it as “the most beautiful churchyard on earth”. It certainly is a strange juxtaposition to see the old stone crosses and headstones surrounded by palm trees and ferns!
There’s a small cafe and Information Centre just up the hill from the church, below the car parks. From here if you walk up the hill to the village of St Just in Roseland, then you can catch a bus back to St Mawes and head for some lunch.
There are plenty of options for a light lunch in St Mawes including:
St Mawes Bakery – a small outlet on the harbour quayside offering pasties and snacks. We can vouch for an excellent sausage roll with great flaky pastry!
St Mawes Seafood Bar – also on the harbour quayside, this offers fresh seafood with a glass of something sparkly if desired. My ‘go to lunch’ from here is a crab sandwich served with samphire on brown bread with crisps on the side; although not cheap, it’s full of amazing white crab meat and delicious.
The Watch House kiosk – fish and chips.
Fudge and More – ice-creams on the sea front.
The Rising Sun – if you’re visiting with your dog from Falmouth to St Mawes, then book a dog-friendly table for elevated pub food in the heart of St Mawes. The menu is extensive and very popular.
St Mawes Hotel – allows dogs in its Lower Deck bar and restaurant. Alternatively, try and bag one of the pavement seats to sit and watch the world go whilst you refuel. This is a sister hotel to the Idle Rocks Hotel and Restaurant, but The Idle Rocks does not allow dogs in its public areas.
The Idle Rocks Hotel and Restaurant – this is the place to be on a sunny day, enjoying a long lunch on its restaurant terrace. It offers a formal dining menu with some tasting menus.
Hotel Tresanton – the terrace of the restaurant at Hotel Tresanton offers stunning views across to St Anthony’s Head and is a great place for a formal late lunch.
Walk off your lunch by finding the shops tucked away on the hilly lanes beyond the harbour, including Aspiga for women’s clothing, Fat Face clothing near the main car park, Mr Scorse Deli and The Square Gallery for jewellery and cards.
If you feel like some beach time on your day trip from Falmouth to St Mawes, then consider one of the following:
Summers Beach is found to the side of The Idle Rocks Hotel. It is the best place for swimming in St Mawes but as the area is likely to be busy with boats, then you need to take care to stay in the designated swimming area.
Note that dogs are banned from the beach between 1 July to 31 August.
Harbour Beach runs along St Mawes seafront but can often be obscured at high tide when the water comes in and covers it up. However, dogs are welcome on Harbour Beach year-round.
For something more active, you can book watersports at Harbour Beach, for example, kayaks and paddleboards from St Mawes Kayaks at the harbour. Ask the kayak centre for ideas about where to head – across the water to Place or up the Percuil River.
St Mawes Boat Hire – allows you to rent small yellow ‘eagle’ boats during the summer months.
Book a fishing trip with the ingeniously named Fish n Trips.
There is an estate with a yellow manor house and church which sits across the water from St Mawes and is accessible on a small ferry. With more time, so perhaps on a different visit, you can take the ferry to Place and then walk around St Anthony’s Headland before returning to St Mawes for lunch.
St Mawes makes a great day trip from Falmouth on the ferry. As the last ferry normally returns between 17.00 and 18.00pm, then you would usually return to Falmouth for dinner time. That said, throughout the summer, there might be a ‘late evening’ ferry running on some nights of the week, which would allow you to stay longer in St Mawes and have your evening meal there.
Alternatively, you could book a one-night stay in St Mawes to allow you to soak in the relaxed pace of life here on the Roseland Peninsula, long after the ferry tourists have left for the day.
Either way, a trip from Falmouth to St Mawes is a winner!
